This Earth Month, discover how close your company may already be to the 1% commitment—and why third-party certification is the step that turns effort into credibility.
Good intentions matter. But credibility matters more in today’s landscape and offers a reliable way to cut through the greenwashing noise.
If your company already has environmental initiatives in place, you may be closer to a 1% commitment than you realize. In fact, many businesses are already doing the foundational work that supports third-party certification.
That impact becomes even more powerful when it’s backed by an accredited organization like 1% for the Planet, supported by thousands of like-minded brands and on-the-ground environmental partners. As our Senior Business Development Lead, Jeff Wilson, says: “Doing it in a silo isn’t as effective as doing it in a community.”
When your business makes a high-bar commitment, it deserves to be recognized. Certification not only validates your efforts—it strengthens them. See how these four practices are markers of meaningful impact and the foundation for certification with 1% for the Planet.
Donating to environmental causes
Many businesses have already built relationships with environmental nonprofits, created in-house giveback programs or even launched their own foundations.
Every so often, a business will come to us worried that joining our movement means overhauling the work they’ve already put in place. The good news? That’s a myth.
1% for the Planet membership isn’t a replacement, but an amplifier of your existing giveback program. Running an in-house giveback program takes time and resources. From researching credible environmental nonprofits to managing compliance, coordinating partnerships and handling communications, it’s a lot for any team to take on alone. “Our goal is to drastically reduce the capacity, time and cost required to run a giveback program internally,” Jeff explains. By joining 1% for the Planet, businesses gain the structure, credibility and support of a global network—making existing giving programs run more smoothly, receive greater recognition and ultimately amplify their impact.
Employee volunteering
More than 1 in 4 companies offer paid time off for employees to volunteer, according to a 2023 study by the Society for Human Resource Management.
The businesses in that 25% might already be closer to meeting a 1% commitment—and the likelihood goes up if they’re volunteering with an environmental or social justice organization.
One perk our members often highlight is access to our network of environmental partners. Employees can easily filter organizations by location, making it simple to find volunteer opportunities close to home. For remote teams in particular, this helps employees get outside, support environmental work in their own communities and feel more connected to the places they live.
In-kind support of nonprofits
Giving back looks different for everyone. 1% for the Planet ensures we recognize different forms of philanthropy—and our flexible giving model does just that. Each year, at least half of your giving must be monetary, and up to one-half of your giving can be non-monetary. So what other forms do we accept? In-kind donations, employee volunteer time and 1% for the Planet advertising donations.
Before becoming a 1% for the Planet Member, Tru Earth was donating millions of laundry detergent sheets to food shelters and other nonprofits as part of their giveback program. When they heard of our flexible giving model, they realized membership was the right choice for them.
Existing third-party certification
We know that collective action is the most powerful tool we have in the fight for our planet. If your business already invests in certifications that verify responsible practices, the costs associated with achieving those certifications may count toward your future 1% for the Planet commitment.
For example, your B Corp certification fee counts towards your annual 1% for the Planet commitment. Becoming dual certified makes your business a "B1," a recognized community within the B Corp network.
The Conservation Alliance and 1% for the Planet also offer dual membership. Businesses that are members of both organizations can count their contributions to The Conservation Alliance toward their annual 1% for the Planet commitment. This creates an efficient way for businesses to maximize their impact while aligning with their environmental values.
Take the first step toward membership
If your business checks any of the four boxes above, the first step is understanding how much of your existing impact already counts toward 1% for the Planet certification. When you complete our interest form, our team will reach out to begin the membership journey and offer a simple giving audit.
It may sound intimidating, but it’s actually straightforward. You’ll share a list of the organizations your business already supports, and our vetting team will review them. From there, we’ll let you know which ones are already part of our network—and which ones may be eligible to join as an environmental partner if you become a member.
As Jeff puts it, “We try to make it really easy for companies that already have a giveback program to get an accurate picture of how close they are to meeting their 1% commitment.”
Need help getting leadership on board? Check out our new toolkit, designed to help you make the case for 1% for the Planet membership to your boss.
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